South Side High School - Optimist Yearbook (Newark, NJ)

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THE OPTIMIST The Art of Early Rising By Harold Hey man It was not so many years ago that I took all proverbs in good faith, but gradually, as I be- came more worldly wise, I cast aside some as being grossly untrue. The latest one to be branded with this stigma is, “Early to bed, and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.” And here’s the reason : Since the new term started, I’ve been getting up at 6:45, which necessitates my going to bed at 9:30. I am just comfortably settled, when I remember that I have forgotten to set the alarm. After walking across the cold floor to remedy this. I get back to bed. after stubbing my toe. I am just dozing off when I wonder if the alarm is on or off ; get out of bed again, only to discover that it is properly set. Back to bed, swearing at my stupidity, and then lie awake the better part of an hour, wondering where I have picked up all those swear words. I am so wide awake by this time that I decide the only way to get to sleep is by counting sheep jumping a fence; have a hard time remembering what a sheep looks like, but am ready to begin ten minutes later; get up to sheep number 1326. when a number go over together, and I lose count. All this excitement has made me more wide awake than ever. Wonder what time it is: after guessing for a «inarter of an hour. I get out of bed to look. It is two minutes past twelve. The thought comes that twelve hours hence I’ll be in chem. and in a flash, I re- member that I’ve absolutely neglected to study this subject. Wonder what we had—cannot re- call, so up again to see! Remember that we have lab. and consequently, no home work. Back again—when will tests begin? Recollect we’ve been threatened with a history test to- morrow. What will it cover? Hope it is the Missouri Compromise. What were its terms? Quite forgotten, so must get up once more to investigate. Finally get to sleep, only to have the alarm ring five minutes later (or so it seems). It is pitch black outside, and I cannot see what I’m doing; get into my trousers back to front. Think I should have turned on the light—do so. Finally get dressed and go down stairs to make my breakfast. After burning the toast, and permitting the coffee to boil over, I discover it is quarter of eight, and so must be eff without a mouthful of food. Get to school at two minutes of eight; didn’t study last night because I thought I’d do it before school began. Swear at myself. Re- member I’ve got a study | criod. Bat myself on the back for fixing up so fine a schedule. Suddenly recall that the study period comes the sixth. Swear at the--------fool in the office that made out the schedules. Now: this proverb states clearly that if you go to bed early and get up early, you will be “healthy, wealthy, and wise, and I have demon- strated that altho I retire and arise early, I am neither healthy, since I do not have sufficient food or sleep, nor wise despite the many noc- turnal hours devoted to thoughts of study. Ah. yes, but you are wealthy, says some advocate of this ingenious plan. But such is not the case. If you recollect. I leave my home without any breakfast, so when lunch period arrives, I am compelled to buy an added quantity of food to make up what I missed at breakfast. And there goes wealth! No, I am certainly not Croe- sus, Jr. And there you have it. I followed the direc- tions carefully, but obtained not the slightest sign of the desired results, and can you blame me if I invoke the gods to again place South Side on a sane basis? Caught “Cutting” By Selma Schwarz (Thomas Hood’s apologies are accepted) One more unfortunate. Weary of breath. Rashly importunate. Gone to her death. Look her up tenderly Teacher, so rare. Fashioned so slenderly. Young and so fair. Give her detention. Why the attention When they do mention Her name on the list? For she was caught After having “cut A class where they taught The uses of but.” Make no deep scrutiny She was undutiful. It was mere mutiny But. wasn’t it beautiful? 25

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THE OPTIMIST SSI Class History The latter part of September, 1920. is a mem- orable date in the history of South Side, for on that day. the best class that Sooth Side has ever known, the class of June. 1924. entered these halls of knowledge. Since we were IB’s we were, of course, treated in a manner that hardly suited our pride. Some of us were thrown into waste baskets, and others were kicked so hard in the place where it hurts the most, that they were unable to sit down for a week. But despite these extra curricula activities, our academic work was not neglected, and in our studies we learned all about puellae pulchrae, apollo. bac- teria and xy. Thus matters stood until we be- came lA’s and we certainly looked down with benign superiority on the incoming youngsters. About this time Jimmy Pappas made his first appearance on the cinder path, and Red Stern scooped them up on the diamond. Those who were not so athletically inclined joined the dif- ferent clubs and tried for positions on The Optimist. Finally we emerged from our state of verdant Freshmanism into the glory of the haughty Sophomore. Here we became acquainted with Julius Caesar. Shakespeare, and other such af- flictions. The Sophomore year was not marked by any unusual incidents, except that we were supremely happy that we were at last an integral part of the school and no longer Freshmen. Very naturally we did to the IB’s what had been done to us in similar circumstances. Our second year ended and we became staid Juniors. At this stage of the game we struggled over Physics, trotted thru Cicero and dragged our weary brains thru Intermediate Algebra. The Junior year is generally the hardest of the four, so that it was not at all remarkable that the collective back of the class bent under the daily load of books. Finally, after three years of toil, we reached cur goal. We were at last Seniors. In 4B we learned how to conduct ourselves at a Senior dance and planned the wonderful things to be accomplished in 4A. In that exalted grade we had the best time of our four years. Class of- ficers were elected, dances were run off, The Senior Optimist kept us busy, class treasurers came to torment us. and last but not least, there was a slight matter of examinations to be passed before we could hope to be numbered among South Side’s alumni. All in all. our four years at South Side have been well spent and happy. It is now at the completion of our course, when we are on the threshold of greater things, that we can realize what South Side and South Side s teachers have done to prepare us tor the future. And I need only say that the class of June. 1924, will always endeavor to fulfil the high ideals, inspired in it by four years happily and wisely spent at South Side. It might here be well to give a short summary of what certain Seniors have done in school activities. Beginning with the language clubs. ‘Lc Ccrclc Framjais” has on its rolls four mcm- Inrrs of our illustrious class. Sara Rosewater, Helen Grccnblat, Nathan Cholodenko and Jaque- line Dolph. Nat was the French club's efficient Sergeant-at-Arms, while Sara and Helen have held the office of president and vice-president respectively. Jaquelinc was in the cast of one of the French plays. The German club lays claim to but one important member of the class of June, 1924. Kmmerglick is the enterprising young fellow who was elected president of the Dutchmen” when the German club was reor- ganized for the first time since the war. And as further proof of his ability, he was re-elected. Our only prominent member in dramatics was the class baby. Tom Winerman was quite a success in “Twelfth Night. for all he did was to sit on a stool and keep mum. Of course, there was no room for criticism of his acting. Everett O. Bauman, vice-president of the Chess and Checker Club, is this class’s representative in that organization. As to our musicians. Esther Van Moppes and Harold Hantman are generally recognized as the leaders of this class in musical circles. The Debating club has also claimed a few members from our ranks. Among the most famous are Helen Grecnblat and Seymour Emmerglick. Helen is this term’s vice-president, while Emmer- glick was on the '23 debating team. As to the Optimist, Emmerglick, the Senior Editor, was also the head of the regular periodi- cal. He was aided in his efforts by Bauman. Menk, Chidnofsky, Kahn. Knobloch, and Fried- man. This concludes the sketch of Senior A’s and tho some of the students never received any of- ficial recognition for what they have done, still it is students who have school spirit such as these who keep the wheels of the various or- ganizations going. 24

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Clans of J iint 1924